The Denver Broncos’ jersey worn by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to make good on a wager made with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock over the result of the Jan. 8 NFL Wildcard game between the city’s two teams sold for $1,400 on Ebay.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl sold this jersey that he wore last week, repaying a wager he made with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

Because the Pittsburgh Steelers lost the game to the Denver Broncos, Ravenstahl had to wear the jersey and bow in the manner made famous by Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow.

He did so at Roberto Clemente Memorial Park in front of photographers and then autographed the Tim Tebow jersey and put it up for bid with proceeds to go to The Pittsburgh Promise, the college scholarship program he co-founded.

The jersey got 68 bids, with a bidder from Midland, Texas, scoring the jersey with the highest amount, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock laughs while wearing a New England Patriots jersey during an NBA basketball game between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz today to pay off a bet with Boston Mayor Tom Menino after the Denver Broncos lost 45-10 to the Patriots in an NFL divisional playoff football game.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who as a teenager worked as the Denver Broncos’ mascot Huddle, today made good on a friendly wager with Boston Mayor Tom Menino over the result of Saturday’s NFL playoff game between the Broncos and the New England Patriots.

Denver lost the game 45-10 to New England, which meant that Hancock also lost his wager, agreeing to wear a Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady’s No. 12 jersey in public. He also secured some Colorado beef for Mayor Menino, according to a press release issued by Hancock’s office.

“As a stalwart Broncos fan, it was certainly not easy to put on that jersey, but it was well worth the wager to support such an outstanding season,” Hancock said. “The City of Denver was proud to come together to support our team. The Broncos gave us an exciting season and a dramatic playoff victory, and we can’t wait for next season.”

Sen. Michael Bennet’s staffers pulled together an old clip of a November 1996 battle between the Broncos and the Patriots. The Broncos won, 34-8, and here is former tight end Shannon Sharpe, known for his trash talkin’, calling the president of the United States.

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow gets ready to throw during the now legendary game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Everybody wants a piece of Tim Tebow, including Tom Brady and two Colorado lawmakers.

House Majority Leader Amy Stephens, R-Colorado Springs, already has inquired about whether the Denver Broncos quarterback can lead the body in the Pledge of Allegiance. And today, Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, wrote a letter asking Tebow to lead the House in the daily prayer.

“You have inspired Colorado. You have inspired America. Throughout your career you have consistently proven the naysayers wrong,” Pace wrote, in part. “I cannot think of anyone better to lead the Colorado state House in the morning prayer and inspire our day’s work.”

Well, Denver wants that kind of spirit on Friday as the city prepares to go berserk for the Denver Broncos, putting up signs, bathing the city in orange lights, adding messages to parking meters, dressing the citizenry in orange and collecting “cans from the fans” for a food drive.

Denver Broncos' fans are encouraged to wear orange on Friday and come downtown to Bannock Street over lunchtime to transform the thoroughfare into "Broncos Boulevard."

The highlight of the mania should be Friday’s “pep rally” downtown, in which Bannock Street will be temporarily renamed “Broncos Boulevard” and fans are encouraged to decorate the asphalt with sidewalk chalk.

The event begins at 11:30 a.m. Friday on Bannock Street between Colfax and 14th avenues. Guests at the rally include Mayor Michael Hancock, the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders, the Stampede drumline and Miles the Mascot.

At 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Hancock will sign a card and unveil the renaming of Bannock St. to “Broncos Boulevard” for the rest of the week. All Broncos fans are encouraged to join and write their own good luck message to the team.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.